UNLUCKY BENEDICTO 
In order to save as much as possible of the baggage 
we carried, I promised Filippe and Benedicto a consider- 
able present of money if they were able to take the stuff 
until we reached the Madeira River. 
Late in the afternoon of September seventh, as we 
were on a high point, above the last range of hills met 
that day, a large panorama opened before us, which we 
could just see between the trees and foliage of the forest. 
To obtain a full view of the scenery it was necessary 
to climb up a tree. I knew w r ell that we could not yet 
have reached the river we were looking for, but perhaps 
we were not far from some large tributary of the Madeira, 
such as the Secundury. 
Climbing up trees in the Brazilian forest was easier 
said than done, even when you possessed your full strength. 
So many were the ants of all sizes which attacked you with 
fury the moment you embraced the tree, that it was not 
easy to get up more than a few feet. 
When we drew lots as to which of us should climb 
the tree, Benedicto was the one selected by fate. Bene¬ 
dicto was certainly born under an unlucky star; when 
anything nasty or unpleasant happened to anybody, it 
was always to poor Benedicto. After a lot of pressing 
he proceeded to go up the tree, uttering piercing yells, 
as every moment great sauba ants bit his arms, legs, or 
body. He was brave enough, and slowly continued his 
way up until he reached a height of some thirty feet 
above the ground, from which eminence he gave us the 
interesting news that there were some high hills standing 
before us to the west, while to the northwest was a great 
flat surface covered by dense forest. 
No sooner had Benedicto supplied us with this 
information from his high point of vantage than we 
heard an agonizing yell and saw him spread flat on the 
ground, having made a record descent. 
Filippe and I, although suffering considerably, were 
2 65 
